Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I I N O. X X I I I O C T O B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 2 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Monson Arts, a residency and work- shop program in Monson, was awarded $20,000 by the Lunder Foundation in Portland to support its partnership with the Extended Learning Opportunities in Maine High Schools. The grant will be applied for two years towards the Monson Arts High School Art & Writing Program. The Lunder Foundation has supported a wide range of projects in Maine, underwriting the Lunder Institute at Colby College, establishing a Lunder Scholars program at Maine College of Art & Design and establishing a mem- ory care center at the Cedars, among other philanthropy efforts. Aroostook County Fitness opened at 499 Main St. in Presque Isle. 1-833-762-0313 mainecb.com Our bankers at Mechanics Savings are local. They know our company, and they know Maine. Sometimes we need to make fast banking decisions, and our banking relationship makes that easy to do. DANIEL COTE THE COTE CORPORATION, AUBURN We know how hard you work. Let us work hard for you. " Our bankers at Mechanics " Our bankers at Mechanics Our bankers at Mechanics " easy to do. " easy to do. easy to do. Q: I am an independent technical consultant and a lot of what I do requires input from my clients. How do I communicate to my clients that I depend on them to help me keep a project moving? ACE Advises: Any client relationship begins with an agreement, an agreement that exists whether it is assumed, implied or explicit. Ensuring the agreement communicates what is necessary, in a way that is mutually under- stood, is crucial to a smooth project. Easier said than done. Creating a clear agreement is a challenge that has vexed small businesses and consultants for years. Here is a simple framework I started using as a software project manager for my Statements of Work, or SOWs. Each SOW answers the questions Who does What, When do they do it, and Why are the other three things important. Feel free to add "Where" if it's relevant. Who is important because the agreement goes both ways. The client has some responsibility for the project to be a success, alongside the provider. Having both "client responsibilities" and "provider responsibilities" sections can make the mutual obligations clear and readable. What needs to be explicitly stated. The difference between "provides feedback" and "provides written feedback" is substantial. Breaking the project down chrono- logically into major milestones m describing what is needed to complete each milestone helps parties understand the sequence of dependent steps needed to complete the project. When sets the expectation of timeliness. Are there weekly sync-up meetings? Or maybe feedback is needed within three days of a demo to keep the project on schedule. Why tells us the reason behind the need. This provides crucial context, even if the "Why" seems implicitly understood. Above all, learn what works for you and your specific situation, and make improvements as you learn new lessons. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y A C E b o a r d m e m b e r M a t t h e w O p u d a The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Matthew Opuda, an ACE board member, is a recovering software project manager who brings strategic agility, iterations and innovation to Maine businesses and nonprofits. He co-founded the Midnight Corp. and founded Northstar Evolution, and can be reached at Matthew@NorthstarEvo.com To learn more about this topic, register for the Oct. 21 program, "Crafting Comprehensive Consulting Agreements," presented jointly by ACE and the Maine Technology Institute, at consultexpertise.com/event-4921166/Registration @

• Cover